Art Center wins $10K Sotheby’s Prize for exhibit

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 10:35 AM

The Des Moines Art Center’s exhibition “For Today I Am a Boy: Contemporary Queer Abstraction” received a $10,000 grant from Sotheby’s, one of five chosen from among 93 applications from 19 countries. The exhibit, which opens in June, was organized by Assistant Curator Jared Ledesma. Said Art Center Director Jeff Fleming: “As the Des Moines Art Center strives to become more inclusive and welcoming to diverse audiences, we are committed to organizing challenging and timely exhibitions to promote empathy and gain understanding of each other through the art of our time. The Sotheby’s Prize jury’s recognition of 'For Today I am a Boy' supports these efforts and helps us to recognize the queer experience as a significant influence on Modernism.” The grants are for works considered “inspiring and transformative.” Sotheby’s also awarded a $250,000 prize to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which will open late next year in Los Angeles. The prize supports the exhibition “Regeneration: Black Cinema 1900-1970" to open in fall 2020.